Thursday, December 31, 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

THERE IS a well-known Cat In A Hat and The Red Hat Society hats but it is a much-loved "dog in a hat" that brings back fond memories of the Christmas season.

Although I agree with those who say putting people-clothes on pets isn’t a good idea, I made an exception one year and put a festive hat on our dog, Bubbles, who has since passed away.

His photo reminds me of how a pet can make a house a home not just on special occasions but on every day of the year. While many thousands of pets are being bought in pet stores year-round, this is the season where hearts are more charitable than usual. There are thousands of discarded animals desperate for homes and waiting to be adopted and they are not necessarily in pet stores. If a live creature is something you are considering as a gift for Christmas, the BCSPCAmight have exactly the pet you are looking for to bring joy into your home.

(It should be noted that buying and/or adopting a pet as a sudden emotional response to Christmas can lead to unhappy results if the idea has not been thoroughly thought through prior to the hectic season.)

Sunday, December 20, 2009

AS CHRISTMAS APPROACHES thoughts about the existence or non-existence of God inevitably appear as they did today on BC Blogger where comments about atheism found their way.

A few weeks ago, Vancouver blogger, Curious Dad, also asked a related question with the focus on children that drew responses, including mine which I am restating here to ask:

Does religion give humanity a sense of morality it lacks or does humanity invent religion to communicate an inborn desire to distinguish between right and wrong? And is it wrong for parents to teach their children moral lessons through their religious or non-religious beliefs?

Perhaps morality and religion are separate issues placed under the same umbrella for convenience sake. History shows that mankind is ever evolving and perceptions of right and wrong are constantly changing, shifting and deepening. But even if morality does not need religion to exist, religion (some say atheism included) can give meaning and purpose to family life. It can offer a social network and places to gather where ideals are refreshed through contact with people of like minds.

For better or worse, small children cannot help but be influenced by what their parents believe. Ironically, even when they break away (as they often will) in teenage or later years, they often return to their religious roots when their own families begin.

Therefore, it is perhaps incumbent on parents not only to explain why they believe what they believe but to also impart non-judgmental attitudes towards what others believe. Being curious about wide-ranging views on spirituality, faith and philosophies in unbiased ways surely enriches a child’s life, if explored in age-appropriate ways.

Of course, live and let live becomes difficult and more complicated with some fundamentalist beliefs that actually put a child’s life or society at risk due to skewed interpretation of dogma.

So perhaps it is not evil to impart your religious or non-religious beliefs on children as much as it is harmful (even immoral) to ignore or facilitate fanaticism, hate and destruction to self and/or others, whether such signs are found within your own group or within the group of others.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

PENELOPE PUDDLE doesn’t carry her umbrella simply for protection against weather. Her umbrella plays a major supportive role that channels Penelope’s imagination and can-do spirit, especially when they are waning.

The umbrella can be likened to many teachers who play a similar role. Whether learning sports, math or music, a teacher’s presence is particularly important for students who have difficult issues to overcome and need someone (or something) special to “hang onto” for brief periods of time.

Reassuring yet challenging, instructors at the local pool were exactly what I needed to start overcoming my fear of deep water and swimming that developed after becoming seriously disoriented in a pool as a teenager.

Unable to accomplish what many five-year-olds can easily do seems unacceptable for the co-creator of a character who is fearless around water. So although my feet have been solidly attached to the ground for a very long time, I am (with considerable difficulty) yanking them out and choosing the Path of The Puddlist, gaining confidence and learning to swim with help from my trusted umbrella-teachers. Thank you teachers!

Path Of The Puddlist Concept:

1 a : beliefs and practices based on the idea
that one can overcome great odds and do wonderful
things by rekindling the optimism, imagination and
wonder of the child withinb: the paths to enlightenment are infinite and most
often found outdoors where possessing the resiliency
of a good umbrella is essential to weather life's stormsc : when it pours, a dry soul must jump into puddles
and bloom, despite the fear of getting wet

PENELOPE PUDDLISMS: BC LIFE IS A WHALE OF A RIDE contains original copyrighted content inspired by Penelope (Penny) Puddle who chases away a gloomy day. Click on the book to learn about the imaginary character that motivated me to start this online journal where I share real-life West Coast scenes. Penelope Puddle illustrations are by my daughter.

TOUCH THE SEASHELL TO LINK TO "WITH MY UMBRELLA, I CAN ..."

Drawings kids make for us are priceless and in rare cases escape refrigerator doors

MY WEST COAST daughter was small when she first conjured up a painting of Penelope (Penny) Puddle and her sidekick umbrella as a gift to me, a writer who evolved the character. Penelope is an original creation that represents the youthful can-do spirit in us all. She loves the BC outdoors where she can travel from sandy beach to snowy mountaintop in a day. Penelope thrives in the rainy season when her imagination grows best. She inspired a kid's book, greeting cards and this site which allows me to explore, create and participate in the broader universe of ideas.

CLICK ON PENELOPE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PUDDLISM CONCEPT

ALL ILLUSTRATIONS, photographs and content are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without expressed written permission from Maria Pavlik.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Spellbound by books early

LEARNING TO READ was not easy but once I found meaning in the letters, a gateway to books and fantastic realms opened. Now I have fun creating my own stories for kids and grownups. Childhood art and stories instill the power of possibilities. As Albert Einstein once said: "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions." He also said: "There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle." I prefer the latter.

Search This Blog

BC WEATHER REPORTS

IF YOU ARE WONDERING what to wear in and around Vancouver, BC, click on the cap and umbrella for current weather conditions.

MY EUROPEAN TRAVEL TALES

CLICK ON the orange umbrella to read my European travel tales. I enjoy photography, artistic expressions that usually involve Penelope Puddle with her umbrella, and writing articles about BC as well as my travels elsewhere. When I am not “puddling” outdoors, my journey is online.

IN MY WORLD I've been thinking about the Lewis Carroll books and how our visit to the beautiful Palace of Versailles last October remind...

Tap into your inner wings

BC FAIRIES are copyrighted illustrations by my daughter. A click on the floral umbrella art sheds light on the tiny creatures.

Cystic Fibrosis

CF TAKES your breath away. Click on the t-shirt to learn more about this dreadful illness affecting children.

Traveling With Your Pet

IT’S NEVER COOL to travel with a hot dog. The occasional sweltering weather in BC reminds us that pets left in cars can suffocate from the heat in October as well as in July. Click on the pet to read this post.

All Rights Reserved

PENELOPE PUDDLISMS: BC LIFE IS A WHALE OF A RIDE contains copyrighted content. No part of its writings, concepts, illustrations and/or photographs may be reproduced in any form without expressed, written permission from the author.

PENELOPE'S GIFT OF TIME

HAVE YOU GOTTEN out of bed with a big yawn and a stretch and a niggling feeling there is something important you forgot that needed your attention yesterday? Oh, yes … that gift for someone special that you still did not get. It is a dilemma we all have faced, including Penelope who is only six and penniless. You do not have to be a parent to enjoy Penelope’s surprising discoveries as she sets off on a rainy day with her sidekick umbrella to find the perfect present for Mother’s Day. Penelope’s Gift of Time is a fully illustrated rhyming tale that effortlessly shows preschoolers and early readers how fond memories build and a sense of connectedness grows when we give of ourselves. (This 20-page story is the second in the Penelope series.)

COUCH AND COMPANY

SINK DEEP into this spellbinding tale about a little girl named Rue who tumbles down the crevice of a second-hand couch to find buttons, coins and dust balls surprisingly animated and in fear of a hot-tempered bully. The highly descriptive prose could draw out some unexpected theatrical skills from parents when dramatizing the story aloud to children. The tiny town under siege inside the sofa and its remarkable residents offer an entertaining read with a quirky lesson. It will take teamwork and creative thinking to overcome the grouch hidden in the bouncy lettuce-green couch. (Short story, no illustrations.)